‘Virtual composer’ reaches songwriting final

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Young composer Eamonn Watt is a finalist in this year’s online International Songwriting Competition.

His composition, The Tale of Buckaroo Bill from his second album entitled Haar, is an orchestral piece with a mix of wild western and Shetland reel-styled musical elements which has reached the finalist rank in the competition’s instrumental category.

Watt, who currently studies music online with the University of the Highlands and Islands after graduating from the music courses at Mareel, “virtually composes” and produces his diverse film score and classically inspired music through computer software.

He has composed four albums since 2012, his most recent being Pianissimo, a collection of 22 virtually composed piano compositions.

Watt has had previous successes with songwriting competitions before, with both Buckaroo Bill and his Scottish jig-inspired composition The Raconteur winning the finalist rank in the UK Songwriting Contest in 2012 and 2015.

Watt now has a possible chance of taking home a huge selection of prizes, the first being the grand prize of $25,000 (approximately £17,500) plus a package of musical equipment and services for the chosen song.

A ranked prize in its instrumental category also contains musical equipment and services and a bonus prize is the “people’s choice” award, where the public can vote for their favourite composition via the website.

You can vote for Watt at www.radioairplay.com/competition_votes/Instrumental. Simply look for “Eamonn Watt” as the author, click the green “thumbs up” button and confirm your vote.